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    • Paper 1
    • Paper 2 >
      • Topic 10: Authoritarian States
      • Topic 12: The Cold War >
        • 1. Causes of the Cold War >
          • 1. What role did ideology play in the Grand Alliance?
          • 2. How did wartime disagreements affect the alliance?
          • 3. Did Soviet expansionism end the alliance?
          • 4. Was US exceptionalism to blame?
          • 5. Did events in Asia exacerbate tensions?
          • 6. Were tensions over Germany the final straw?
          • 7. Summary: Who was to blame for the Cold War?
        • 2. Conflict & Confrontation >
          • 1. How did competition unfold in Asia?
          • 2. What conflicts emerged in Europe?
          • 3. How did the Cold War shape the Middle East?
          • 4. Were tensions in the Americas unexpected?
          • 5. Why did the Cold War spread to Africa?
          • 6. How did scientific change drive the conflict?
          • 7. Summary: Who won the global struggle?
        • 3. Detente and Coexistence >
          • 1. Did peaceful coexistence work?
          • 2. What did detente achieve?
          • 3. Why did detente fail?
          • 4. Summary: Was detente a failure?
        • 4. China and the Cold War >
          • 1. Why were Sino-Soviet relations so turbulent?
          • 2. How did Sino-American relations change?
          • 3. What other relations did China cultivate?
          • 4. Summary: When did China become a global power?
        • 5. End of the Cold War >
          • 1. Did the USSR decay from within?
          • 2. Did Ronald Reagan win the war?
          • 3. Was Mikhail Gorbachev to blame?
          • 4. What role did people power play?
          • 5. Why did the USSR finally collapse?
          • 6. Summary: Who, or what, ended the Cold War?
        • 6. Leaders, Crises and Nations >
          • 1. What was the impact of leaders?
          • 2. How significant were Cold War crises?
          • 3. In what ways were nations affected?
          • 4. Summary: What was the role of leaders, crises and nations?
        • Exam Questions
    • Paper 3 - Asia/Oceania >
      • Topic 9: Imperial Decline in East Asia 1860-1912
      • Topic 11: Japan 1912-1990
      • Topic 12: China and Korea 1910-1950
      • Topic 14: The People's Republic of China 1949-2005
      • Topic 15: Cold War Conflicts in Asia >
        • 1. The Malayan Emergency >
          • 1. What triggered conflict in Malaya?
          • 2. How did the Emergency evolve?
          • 3. Why was the insurgency defeated?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Emergency?
          • 5. Summary: Why was communism defeated?
        • 2. The Korean War >
          • 1. What caused the Korean War?
          • 2. How did the Korean War evolve?
          • 3. How was the Korean War resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Korean War?
          • 5. Summary: Was the Korean War a turning point?
        • 3. The French Indochina War >
          • 1. What caused the French Indochina War?
          • 2. How did the French Indochina War evolve?
          • 3. How was the war in Indochina resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Indochina War?
          • 5. Summary: What accounts for the French defeat?
        • 4. The Vietnam War >
          • 1. What caused the Vietnam War?
          • 2. How did the Vietnam War evolve?
          • 3. How was the Vietnam War resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Vietnam War?
          • 5. Summary: Was the Vietnam War inevitable?
        • 5. The Cambodian Civil War >
          • 1. What caused the Cambodian Civil War?
          • 2. How did the Cambodian Civil War evolve?
          • 3. How was the Civil War resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Cambodian Civil War?
          • 5. Summary: Who can be blamed for events in Cambodia?
        • 6. The Soviet Afghan War >
          • 1. Why did the USSR invade Afghanistan?
          • 2. How did the Soviet-Afghan war evolve?
          • 3. How was the Soviet Union defeated?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Soviet-Afghan war?
          • 5. Summary: Why did the USSR withdraw?
        • Exam Questions
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4. What role did people power play?

Activity 1 - What happened in 1989?


  1. Explore - Read pages 218-221 of Rogers, K., & Thomas, J. (2015). Pearson Baccalaureate: History the Cold War and make notes on the events of 1989. Complete and discuss Activities 5 and 6.
  2. Watch - Examine this documentary on the revolutions of 1989 and the collapse of the Berlin Wall. As you watch, try to identify the different causes for the revolutions of 1989. 
  3. Identify - Using your notes so far, create a simple timeline of events from 1989-90 showing the key events of the people power revolutions of 1989. 

Activity 2 - What triggered the revolutions?


  1. Analyse - First read the excerpts from Gorbachev’s 1988 speech to the UN General Assembly on this worksheet. This was the speech in which Gorbachev announced that the USSR would withdraw half a million troops from the Warsaw Pact and would not use force to oppose political changes. Why do you think he made this speech?
  2. Evaluate - Now consider the values and limitations of the origins, purpose and content of this speech. Fill in the table on the worksheet with your notes and observations. Use this OPCVL chart to help you evaluate this source.
  3. Write - Now complete the last question on your worksheet. You need to write a two paragraph answer to the question. The first paragraph should evaluate the values of the source, the second should examine the limitations. In both paragraphs, try to make specific points about the origins, purpose and content of the source. The third page of this word mat can help, as can these sentence starters.
  4. Reflect - How significant was Gorbachev’s speech? Would the revolutions of 1989 have happened without it? Try to imagine yourself in 1988. Can you think of ways in which the speech was, and wasn’t, significant? Review this article for ideas.

Activity 3 - Why did Soviet rule collapse?


  1. Watch - Examine this video from 30m40s to 47m (watch the whole video if you have time!). Make notes on what happened in each satellite state on this worksheet. What factors allowed these states to regain independence
  2. Research - Now in pairs or individually, select one of the satellite states to examine in more detail. Research the factors that led to revolution in your state and complete the relevant section on the worksheet. Use the following sources to help you:
    1. ​Mamaux, A. (2015). Oxford IBDP Programme - The Cold War, pp. 203-210
    2. ​Rogers, K., & Thomas, J. (2015). Pearson Baccalaureate: History the Cold War, pp. 216-221
    3. Williamson, D.G. (2015). Access to History - The Cold War, pp. 267-279
  3. ​Review - Complete the last column of the table on the worksheet by considering which factors were most relevant in explaining what caused the revolutions against communism in your state. Choose three of the most significant factors and rank them in order of importance.
    1. Popular dissatisfaction and Nationalist opposition groups
    2. Reformist groups within the communist parties
    3. Poor Economy
    4. Ending of the Brezhnev Doctrine
    5. Awareness of what was happening in other states
    6. Impact of Glasnost and Perestroika in USSR
  4. Present - Create a short 2-3 presentation outlining what happened during the revolution against communist rule in your satellite state, and arguing what were the main three factors that accounts for the revolution. As you listen to each group, fill in your worksheet to explore the main reasons in each state.
  5. Discuss - To what extent was people power the main reason for the revolutions of 1989? Compare your findings from all the satellite states and discuss this question as a class.

Further Reading


OBLIGATORY READING
  1. Mamaux, A. (2015). Oxford IBDP Programme - The Cold War, pp. 203-210
RECOMMENDED READING
  1. Rogers, K., & Thomas, J. (2015). Pearson Baccalaureate: History the Cold War, pp. 216-221
SUPPLEMENTAL READING
  1. Williamson, D.G. (2015). Access to History - The Cold War, pp. 267-279

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NEXT LESSON - WHY DID THE USSR FINALLY COLLAPSE?
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  • Home
  • Shop
  • iGCSE
  • IBDP
    • Paper 1
    • Paper 2 >
      • Topic 10: Authoritarian States
      • Topic 12: The Cold War >
        • 1. Causes of the Cold War >
          • 1. What role did ideology play in the Grand Alliance?
          • 2. How did wartime disagreements affect the alliance?
          • 3. Did Soviet expansionism end the alliance?
          • 4. Was US exceptionalism to blame?
          • 5. Did events in Asia exacerbate tensions?
          • 6. Were tensions over Germany the final straw?
          • 7. Summary: Who was to blame for the Cold War?
        • 2. Conflict & Confrontation >
          • 1. How did competition unfold in Asia?
          • 2. What conflicts emerged in Europe?
          • 3. How did the Cold War shape the Middle East?
          • 4. Were tensions in the Americas unexpected?
          • 5. Why did the Cold War spread to Africa?
          • 6. How did scientific change drive the conflict?
          • 7. Summary: Who won the global struggle?
        • 3. Detente and Coexistence >
          • 1. Did peaceful coexistence work?
          • 2. What did detente achieve?
          • 3. Why did detente fail?
          • 4. Summary: Was detente a failure?
        • 4. China and the Cold War >
          • 1. Why were Sino-Soviet relations so turbulent?
          • 2. How did Sino-American relations change?
          • 3. What other relations did China cultivate?
          • 4. Summary: When did China become a global power?
        • 5. End of the Cold War >
          • 1. Did the USSR decay from within?
          • 2. Did Ronald Reagan win the war?
          • 3. Was Mikhail Gorbachev to blame?
          • 4. What role did people power play?
          • 5. Why did the USSR finally collapse?
          • 6. Summary: Who, or what, ended the Cold War?
        • 6. Leaders, Crises and Nations >
          • 1. What was the impact of leaders?
          • 2. How significant were Cold War crises?
          • 3. In what ways were nations affected?
          • 4. Summary: What was the role of leaders, crises and nations?
        • Exam Questions
    • Paper 3 - Asia/Oceania >
      • Topic 9: Imperial Decline in East Asia 1860-1912
      • Topic 11: Japan 1912-1990
      • Topic 12: China and Korea 1910-1950
      • Topic 14: The People's Republic of China 1949-2005
      • Topic 15: Cold War Conflicts in Asia >
        • 1. The Malayan Emergency >
          • 1. What triggered conflict in Malaya?
          • 2. How did the Emergency evolve?
          • 3. Why was the insurgency defeated?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Emergency?
          • 5. Summary: Why was communism defeated?
        • 2. The Korean War >
          • 1. What caused the Korean War?
          • 2. How did the Korean War evolve?
          • 3. How was the Korean War resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Korean War?
          • 5. Summary: Was the Korean War a turning point?
        • 3. The French Indochina War >
          • 1. What caused the French Indochina War?
          • 2. How did the French Indochina War evolve?
          • 3. How was the war in Indochina resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Indochina War?
          • 5. Summary: What accounts for the French defeat?
        • 4. The Vietnam War >
          • 1. What caused the Vietnam War?
          • 2. How did the Vietnam War evolve?
          • 3. How was the Vietnam War resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Vietnam War?
          • 5. Summary: Was the Vietnam War inevitable?
        • 5. The Cambodian Civil War >
          • 1. What caused the Cambodian Civil War?
          • 2. How did the Cambodian Civil War evolve?
          • 3. How was the Civil War resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Cambodian Civil War?
          • 5. Summary: Who can be blamed for events in Cambodia?
        • 6. The Soviet Afghan War >
          • 1. Why did the USSR invade Afghanistan?
          • 2. How did the Soviet-Afghan war evolve?
          • 3. How was the Soviet Union defeated?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Soviet-Afghan war?
          • 5. Summary: Why did the USSR withdraw?
        • Exam Questions
  • Links
    • is globalpolitics
    • is history
    • is humanities